In The Last Temptation of Christ, the Great Teacher, portrayed by Willem Dafoe, is asked why he isn’t a better Jew. He says the scripture instructs us to tell the truth, and he never tells the truth - he doesn’t have the courage. Within him lies something so powerful and transformative that he doesn’t dare speak it. In the world we commonly find introverts who might be cautious with their words, refraining from saying what they really feel. We also find extroverts, who feel free to talk about anything, except perhaps what is truly in their hearts. Members of Rotary often ask themselves these four key questions: Is it true? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it foster good will and build relationships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Sometimes it is necessary to use a test such as this in order to restrain our speech, to hold back from saying something that might be hurtful and unhelpful. Likewise, if you are holding your words, afraid to speak, and your words meet these tests, to open your mouth now presents a grand opportunity.

In Sam Harris’s app Waking up he often asks the listener to notice the condition of being aware, and to “rest as that condition”. We fall back into awareness, and allow ourselves to see that everything we experience is just a different flavor of consciousness. In the Siddha Yoga tradition, there is an important mantra from the Vedic tradition: “Soham”. It is often translated as “Thou art That”, meaning “the individual consciousness is equivalent to the universal consciousness.” The common practice in Siddha Yoga is to meditate on the mantra - exhaling focusing on the syllable “So” and inhaling focusing on the syllable “Ham”. By meditating in this way, we might learn that truth, that everything we experience is a play of consciousness. Read the transcript and find important links on the site: [A Beautiful Thought - Rest as that Condition: Episode 397](https://beautifulpodcast.com/rest-as-that-condition-episode-397/)